


Solace

by plutoreprise



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), Robin: Son of Batman (Comics)
Genre: Batkids Age Reversal, Damian Wayne is Batman, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Damian Wayne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:49:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21790078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plutoreprise/pseuds/plutoreprise
Summary: Damian is the Batman to Dick's Robin.After Dick is hit by fear gas, Damian tries to console him back at the cave.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne
Comments: 12
Kudos: 238
Collections: Robin Christmas Exchange 2019





	Solace

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Happy_Mango](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happy_Mango/gifts).



As soon as the duo lands on the next rooftop, the red-faced boy puckers up again, and lets out three faltering whistles.

He frowns.

“It comes with practice.” Damian insists, not bothering to hide his half smile.

Dick huffs. “But I’ve been practicing all winter-long.”

The chime of the Batsuit tracker cuts them off again. “Down this alley, Robin.” They swing down from a fire escape, landing several feet away from the old Hopewell Sanatorium’s back entrance.

Robin mumbles the street names under his breath, trying to allocate them to his long term memory.

It provokes a sense of pride within Damian.

Taking after his father, and housing a child Damian barely knew, had come with a set of challenges that not even the League could have prepared him for. But looking at Richard now, determined and strong, he’s a long way from last year’s impression of the newly orphaned acrobat.

With a definitive sigh, Dick massages the front of his neck.

“Warm water and honey is good for the throat.” Damian advises. His hands shift, coordinating a remote hacking device to unlock the medical facility’s entrance.

Robin nods with sunken shoulders.

“You know, you have almost acquired the skill. Do not lose your spirit so soon.”

The boy’s head springs back up, “Really?”

“I have no reason to lie.” Damian turns on the cowl’s radio antenna. “No doubt your parents have trained you to the ends of patience. You must have an idea of the performance your progress will result in. Trust that when you arrive, it will be glorious.”

Robin outright beams.

Damian makes a mental note to help Richard with his poker face.

After years of refusing to pose with infants, or babysit any newborn Kents— to doting on such a peculiar circus boy…

If only Father could see him now. Pennyworth would have chuckled, surely.

The hum of unknown voices coming from the building floods his ears as the cowl intercepts the channel. “So it begins.” Damian says. The weighted back door gives with an easy push. “Are you ready?”

His partner nods, straightening his posture.

Aimless sobs echo even louder in the sanatorium once they’re inside. Joined by the agitation of doorknobs and bashing of fists against wood.

“This place gives me the creeps.” Robin whispers, almost unheard below the noise.

Damian turns off the cowl radio, surveying the warm bodies his activated heat vision picks up. “Stay behind me, Robin.”

Most of the adult sized bodies claw at locked office doors in the labyrinth of rooms, while others lay curled and trembling. Seemingly paralyzed in place.

“Call the commissioner,” Damian instructs, “We’ve found the missing asylum patients from Bludhaven.”

Robin surveys the few empty offices, before choosing a room where the cries will be less disruptive. His nose wrinkles, “Yikes. It smells funny in here.”

“Quickly, Robin.”

“Yes, Batman.”

With the boy safe, Damian travels down the hallway, doors rattling now with the knowledge of his presence. These people don’t seem to be in the right state of mind. So far—

He turns to catch a bony wrist, hellbent on knocking the back of his skull.

“I suggest you not try that.” The opponent in question appears to be significantly shorter. In overalls. And wearing what appears to be a canvas sack, as a mask, over their head. “My body is well shielded. You, on the other hand,” he twists their arm, earning a high pitched yelp, and a glare, visible through the torn facial gaps of the mask. “Now,” he feels a tic of misplaced nostalgia at the headwear, “which relative of one Jonathan Crane, are you?”

“None of your business!” The captee snarls. They try to yank themselves back to no avail.

Damian squeezes tighter, “Same lack of manners as your father...”

“Grandfather.”

“Then my presumptions were correct. You’ve been missing quite a while, Ruth.”

She leans in to his face, “It’s doctor to you! Is all respect lost on you Gothamites?”

Damian swipes at her ankles, knocking her down and pressing a knee to her back, “You lost my respect when you took vulnerable patients as hostages.”

“They are,” her teeth clack together, “my experiments!”

Robin choses this time to walk out from one of the offices, “Ohh. Experiments. Ya don’t say?” He stops several feet away to block the exit from Ruth. “Well that makes things way—“

A door gives way behind Damian, slamming forward and releasing a group of disoriented people, who had been mumbling and whacking its surface only moments ago.

Dick sighs aloud. “Of course.”

“It’s a monster!” Someone cries, pointing at Damian’s hunched figure. Several patients charge forward with fists, trying to rid their sights of him.

With Damian beginning to fend off the growing crowd, Crane takes the distraction advantage and squirms away, running in their opposite direction. Deeper yet into the facility.

The experiment victims announce their rage on Damian’s armor with all their bodily strength. Inducing yells and sobs of varying degrees.

“Get away!”

“Don’t eat me!”

“I’ll kill you!”

Since the armor takes most of the shock, it buys Damian a moment to think. He remembers fear toxin was vicious before gaining his immunity. He remembers wanting someone to help. To tell you it would be safe.

“Robin!”

Dick is fighting in a defense position, pulling his punches and kicks to keep from fracturing his own set of attackers. “Yes, Batman?”

“They’re addled with fear toxin!” Long nails scrape down his chin. He takes a step back only to be met with more hands pulling at his arms. “I might have enough antidote to cure this place at once!”

Robin does a cartwheel evasion from what could have been a weeklong bruise to his cheek. “High ground then?”

“I’ll get the doors!”

Damian sets the radius and timer of his device from the cowl to unlock the remaining office cages, and pushes his way towards the narrow hallway Robin ran through. He finds the boy standing on tip toes in the cafeteria, assessing the height of a lunch table.

They jump on, eyeing the mass following behind.

Damian finds the pocket on his belt. “One vial of decade-old fear gas antidote.” The tube, untouched for so long Damian considered abandoning it, falls into his palm.

Robin recites in awe, “Failing to prepare, is preparing to fail…”

Damian snaps the tube, tossing it into the crowd approaching them.

“What about the Scarecrow?” Robin asks.

“I’ve been tracking her since she ran. The gps marks her still in the building. Stay on guard.”  
The mist clouds above the patient’s heads and it starts to take effect before Damian or Dick have to begin resisting again.

First, it slows their motor functions. Most of the Bludhaven citizens stop a few feet away from the duo’s high ground. Their bodies go limp. The intentions of violence seeping away with a few breaths.

Then, as they inhale mouthfuls of the antidote, their eyes start to focus, the brain supporting cognitive abilities again.

Overall, this is one of the few times Damian can say cultivating fear against the Batman did not work in his favor.

From outside comes the rhythm of police sirens. Robin grins at the welcome sound of megaphone commands. “Looks like Montoya’s here.”

The Bludhaven patients have begun murmuring confused questions and giving startled looks. A few amused glances are shot Robin’s way. “The GCPD are down that hallway and out the door. They will help you get to safety.”

They supervise for a while, and all it takes to pressure the stragglers is a firm “Go, now,” from the Batman.

Once they’re gone, Damian turns to the boy. “Aw.” Robin coos. “They’re kinda cute when they’re not bloodthirsty.”

Damian doesn’t encourage him with a laugh. “We have another matter to settle.” He jumps off the table, approaching a corner of the cafeteria and tapping the supercomputer on his wrist. “Hnn. The tracker says she should be--”

“Here!”

Like a snake from a pit, Ruth Crane tumbles out of a laundry cart dressed in loose scrubs. Her overalls are gone and lumped in the corner Damian stands in.

A false lead of the tracker.

Her canvas mask is noticeably stretched out now too, but hanging on. “And I’ve got something special for your pet birdie.”

Crane tosses two handfuls of gas bombs towards Robin, and while the boy does his best to block, several roll towards his feet; the dosage is enough to put a child in a coma. The only barrier the fact that Robin has more body resistance and breathing techniques to avoid a lethal end.

Still, it’s going to take a toll on him.

“Here’s a life lesson, kid.” She rasps out, “The gas reveals the truth about you!”

Damian acts on reflex, aiming a batarang to her shoulder with more aggression than necessary.

The metal scrapes against bone, eliciting a fury-filled scream from Crane. She stumbles until finding purchase against a wall. Damian only sees so much when his back is turned, running towards his injured partner.

“What is... it’s..” Dick sinks to his knees, just starting to curl in on himself.

Damian advances through the cloud of gas, protected by the immunity his father had granted him years ago. “Hold your breath while I carry you out.” He says to Robin, scooping him up with one arm. The other goes up to his ear.

“Superman.”

“I’m here, Batman.”

“A new Scarecrow injured Robin and I’m taking him in for—“

Dick takes a gasping inhale. His small hands grip onto the edges of Damian’s cape dangling about his shoulders.

“Impulse is on standby. We won’t let her get away. Take care of the boy.”

“Thank you, Jon.”

Ruth takes labored draws that Damian ignores. He holds Dick close with both hands now, rushing to the batmobile that has pulled up on call out front.

There are fewer police there. Better for less interference.

Outside, a cop keeping look-out jumps to his feet when Damian uncloaks his vehicle. “Batman! What’s going on?”

The trembling boy clutches tighter when Damian tries to seat him on the passenger’s side. He isn’t gasping anymore, but still taking deep breaths. “Robin, I’m going to help you. It’s going to be okay.”

Rookie officer gulps behind him. “What happened to Robin?”

Damian places a hand over the boy’s cheek. “I’m going to set you down in the batmobile.” As he starts to pull away again, Dick’s eyebrows furrow together.

Damian releases the clip of his own cape, leaving the cowl on, and wraps Dick in a bundle. That seems to be a fair compromise as his grip to the fabric continues.

“Should we get an ambulance?” The cop asks.

“No.” Damian shuts the door.

“Wha—why? Are you crazy? The kid could die!”

Damian turns on his heel, his body looming over the smaller officer. “He is my responsibility and I will heal him faster than anyone else could. Move.”

The rookie’s face disappears under the tinted windows, and Damian presses on the gas as soon as the engine rumbles to life.

“Stay awake, Robin.”

He huddles into the folds of the wrapped cape, his speaking inaudible.

“I will keep you safe. You have my word.”

—————----------------

The car ride is five minutes shorter than usual but it’s not fast enough for Damian. Even the mumbling was more comforting than Robin’s sleepy eyelids now.

“Don’t fall asleep, stay with me, Dick. We’re in the cave. Can you hear me?” He’s holding the boy in his arms again, going to the lab where the antidote doses are kept.

Goliath hasn’t stopped whining since they arrived, following them around and pressing his wet snout to the weak bundle in Damian’s arms. Dick doesn’t have the strength to hold onto anything anymore. The cape forgotten in the Batmobile.

“Step back, Goliath. He will recover.”

His bulky red friend makes a low sound. Kneeling to keep a watchful eye as the pair enters the lab, where he cannot fit.

“He has to be.”

Damian lets Dick slump into a nearby chair. He takes off his cowl and peels off their masks. Robin’s is cold with sweat. “Don’t close your eyes. Just a few moments longer.”

He searches for the original antidote formula on the lab computer, and gets to work calculating an increase that is safe to consume.

It’s several minutes later when the boy calls out loudly, “Damian…”

He keeps his eyes on the monitor, “I’m right here, Dick.” Dick had uttered his name a few times in the car, so he stays on task.

“I’m sorry Batman... please... don’t… don’t...”

That does bring Damian to frown. He chances a look back and observes the worrisome shake of Dick’s shoulders, Damian types in the amounts quickly, knowing it will be a moment for the antidote to be produced.

When the monitor blinks to the progress screen, Damian goes to kneel in front of the boy. “Richard?”

Dick lethargically pushes his head up. His eyes are pooled with tears now. “Don’t send me back!”

“Send you where?” He controls the tone of his voice, afraid to startle Dick.

The tears begin push over the edge, making their tracks down his striken face. “Don’t…” he takes a deep breath, “don’t send me to the orphanage…”

Damian reels back. “I—I won’t.”

His claim isn’t enough. Dick, fighting powerless limbs, slides to the floor and extends his hands.

Damian reaches out to hold him by the shoulders so Dick won’t hurt himself.

“I won’t disappoint you anymore.” His gaze is unfocused. Far away. “I know ‘m not good… not… I try.” His fingers twitch with the intention of trying to reciprocate Damian’s hold, but his arms barely lift.

“Richard.” Damian presses his hand against Dick’s cheek. “You don’t disappoint me.”

His lips tremble and he starts to sob like Damian hasn’t seen since their first meeting at Haly’s.

“Bat—“

Damian hurts. He places the boy’s head against his shoulder, letting him release his pain. Moments like these remind Damian it’s hard to understand why someone innocent and giving was dealt such tragedy. He embraces Dick and carries him towards the table where the antidote is nearly done pouring.

Goliath scratches the floors with his claws outside the doorway. Unappeased by the image of the troubled boy.

Damian places Dick on the table keeping him propped up with one arm and reaching for an inhaler with another.

“Alright. Here we are. I vowed to keep you safe, did I not?”

He guides Dick to breathe the antidote carefully, and rubs his back like he’d seen Jon do with his firstborn. “You are okay. I’m right here.”

Dick doesn’t speak as he returns. Simply sinks into the comforts Damian is dead set on providing more often. His shaking subsides as does the sniffling.

It becomes so silent Damian questions if the formula has worked.

Dick eventually coughs, pushing away from Damian’s hold. “Woah. Gee.” He grimaces. “That was bad.” He rubs his eyes, wiping away traces of his flooded emotion, gaze fixed on the floor. “Let’s—let’s just forget that happened, right?”

He bounds off the table in a rush, trying to steady himself on wobbly feet. Damian takes his arm. “Richard.”

“I’m sorry—“

“Do you truly believe I would abandon you?”

The look he receives is chilling. Richard is lost, pained. Who could have denied him the truth? That he’s loved and more than worthy of that?

“Son.” He kneels down to be closer to the child’s height, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You must understand that, you, as you are, bring light into my world. That you make me hope again.”

Dick shakes his head.

“It’s true.” Damian softens his grip. “I never wanted my own children. And I still don’t. But you’re my only son now and I have never been this proud.” Dick starts to hold his bottom lip inwards.

“It was not circumstance that led me to choose you. You were clever finding the man who sabotaged the trapeze. And merciful in refusing to harm him…”

Few slow tears roll down his face again. Dick is soundless now that he’s aware Damian can hear him. The only giveaway the rise of his chest.

“You surpassed my expectations since the beginning.” Damian says earnestly. “All I want now is to teach you what I know.”

Dick uses his palms to wipe away his offending reaction.

“And should you fall, I will be here to catch you.”

It finally convinces his partner to consider him. “So you— you wouldn’t replace me?” Dick asks softly.

He brushes the boy’s long hair behind his ears. “Young Grayson. You are irreplaceable.”

This time it’s Dick who wraps him in a hug. Damian accepts the embrace, closing his eyes for a pause. Repenting how he’s long-overdue for reassurances. Swearing he won’t forget to offer them again.

Moments pass before they collect their uniform accessories and walk side by side out of the lab, Goliath wasting no time in approaching them. He pushes his snout towards Dick, accepting comforting pets and nuzzling into the boy.

It brings a warmer smile to their faces. “Thank you too, Golly.” Dick whispers.

Damian puts an arm around Dick’s shoulders, placing his own hand on Goliath’s fur. “This family will look after you, Richard.”

Dick looks up at him.

“I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Taking this challenge on was equal parts scary and fun :'-)
> 
> Thank you to the mods for setting up the event and Happy_Mango for the lovely prompt! ♡


End file.
